Fluorescent probes are valuable reagents for the analysis and separation of molecules and cells and for the detection and quantification of other materials. A very small number of fluorescent molecules can be detected under optimal circumstances. Barak and Webb visualized fewer than 50 fluorescent lipid analogs associated with the LDL reception of cells using a SIT camera, J. CELL BIOL., 90, 595-604 (1981). Flow cytometry can be used to detect fewer than 10,000 fluorescein molecules associated with particles or certain cells (Muirhead, Horan and Poste, BIOTECHNOLOGY, 3, 337-356 (1985)). Some specific examples of the application of fluorescent probes are (1) identification and separation of subpopulations of cells in a mixture of cells by the techniques of fluorescence flow cytometry, fluorescence-activated cell sorting and fluorescence microscopy; (2) determination of the concentration of a substance that binds to a second species (e.g., antigen-antibody reactions) in the technique of fluorescence immunoassay; (3) localization of substances in gels and other insoluble supports by the techniques of fluorescence staining. These techniques are described by Herzenberg, et al., “CELLULAR IMMUNOLOGY” 3rd ed., Chapter 22; Blackwell Scientific Publications (1978); and by Goldman, “FLUORESCENCE ANTIBODY METHODS”, Academic Press, New York, (1968); and by Taylor, et al., APPLICATIONS OF FLUORESCENCE IN THE BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES, Alan Liss Inc., (1986).
When employing fluorescent polymers for the above purposes, there are many constraints on the choice of the fluorescent polymer. One constraint is the absorption and emission characteristics of the fluorescent polymer, since many ligands, receptors, and materials in the sample under test, e.g. blood, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, will fluoresce and interfere with an accurate determination of the fluorescence of the fluorescent label. This phenomenon is called autofluorescence or background fluorescence. Another consideration is the ability to conjugate the fluorescent polymer to ligands and receptors and other biological and non-biological materials and the effect of such conjugation on the fluorescent polymer. In many situations, conjugation to another molecule may result in a substantial change in the fluorescent characteristics of the fluorescent polymer and, in some cases, substantially destroy or reduce the quantum efficiency of the fluorescent polymer. It is also possible that conjugation with the fluorescent polymer will inactivate the function of the molecule that is labeled. A third consideration is the quantum efficiency of the fluorescent polymers which should be high for sensitive detection. A fourth consideration is the light absorbing capability, or extinction coefficient, of the fluorescent polymers, which should also be as large as possible. Also of concern is whether the fluorescent molecules will interact with each other when in close proximity, resulting in self-quenching. An additional concern is whether there is non-specific binding of the fluorescent polymers to other compounds or container walls, either by themselves or in conjunction with the compound to which the fluorescent polymer is conjugated.
The applicability and value of the methods indicated above are closely tied to the availability of suitable fluorescent compounds. In particular, there is a need for fluorescent substances that have strong absorption at 405 nm, and emit fluorescence with a large Stokes shift, since excitation of these fluorophores produces less autofluorescence and also multiple chromophores fluorescing at different wavelengths can be analyzed simultaneously if the full visible and near infrared regions of the spectrum can be utilized. In recent years violet laser (405 nm) has been increasingly installed in commercial fluorescence instruments since it gives a much larger emission wavelength window than other lasers (e.g., argon laser at 488 nm and He—Ne laser at 633 nm). Phycobiliproteins have made an important contribution because of their high extinction coefficient and high quantum yield. These fluorophore-containing proteins can be covalently linked to many proteins and are used in fluorescence antibody assays in microscopy and flow cytometry. However, the phycobiliproteins have a few disadvantages that limit their biological applications, e.g., (1) the phycobiliproteins are relatively complex and tend to dissociate in highly diluted solutions; (2) They are extremely unstable and fade quickly upon illumination; (3) the phycobiliproteins have very weak absorption at 405 nm.
Brightly fluorescent polymers permit detection or location of the attached materials with great sensitivity. Certain polyfluorene polymers have demonstrated utility as labeling reagents for immunological applications, e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 8,158,444; U.S. Pat. No. 8,455,613; U.S. Pat. No. 8,354,239; U.S. Pat. No. 8,362,193; and U.S. Pat. No. 8,575,303 to Gaylord, et al.; also WO 2013/101902 to Chiu et al. The other biological applications of polyfluorene polymers have been well documented by Thomas III et al. (Chem. Rev. 2007, 107, 1339); Zhu et al (Chem. Rev. 2012, 112, 4687) and Zhu et al. (Chem. Soc. Rev., 2011, 40, 3509). Nevertheless, all the existing water-soluble polyfluorene polymers are based on unsubstituted fluorenes due to the commercial unavailability of the required key intermediates. No efforts have been devoted to explore the biological applications of substituted fluorene polymers. The unsubstituted polyfluorene polymers are known to share certain disadvantages, e.g. (1) the existing polyfluorene polymers have emission wavelength close to the UV edge of visible wavelength (400-800 nm); (2) the existing polyfluorene polymers also have a very strong tendency to self-aggregate (i.e. stack), which can significantly reduce the fluorescence quantum yields, as described in the extensive review by Mishra, et al., CHEM. REV., 100, 1973 (2000); and (3) the existing polyfluorene polymers suffer from free rotation/vibration of two benzene units around the middle single bond that significantly reduce the polymer linearity and planarity. This phenomenon is called ‘loose belt effect’ that is described in “MODERN MOLECULAR PHOTOCHEMISTRY”, Chapters 5 and 6, University Science Books, Sausalito, Calif., authored by Nicholas J. Turro (1991). Thus, there remains a need for fluorescent polymers with improved fluorescent characteristics.